Protecting animals and working with our community to prevent cruelty is what our dedicated field services team does day in and day out, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We believe that every animal matters—regardless of breed, size, age, or any other factor. Recently, one case surrounding one small reptile proved just that.

In December, our Animal Care & Control Officers were assisting Metropolitan Police Department Officers with a search warrant at the home of Darnell Jones, 34, in Washington, DC, when they came across a snake. The snake was extremely underweight and appeared to be having difficulty shedding her skin which is indicative of significant husbandry and care issues. The subsequent investigation by Humane Law Enforcement Officer Michael Triebwasser revealed that the snake had been underweight for seven months and had never at any point during that time been taken to a veterinarian for proper care.

2011 has been another busy year for our field services team, comprised of our Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) and Animal Care and Control Officers. To date, our field services division has responded to nearly 15,000 new calls, including over 1,300 cases of animal cruelty and neglect investigated by our HLE officers.

"The number of children under 18 arrested and charged with violent crimes -- homicide, rape and aggravated assault -- has risen 10 percent this year compared with last year," McCabe wrote. "Burglary arrests of juveniles jumped 90 percent, while thefts shot up 173 percent."

Washington, DC -- The DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) announced that a youth under the agency’s supervision who escaped from a South Carolina placement center on April 20th was taken back into custody by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force today without incident. The task force is made up of several state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the United States Marshals Service.